


The Hearts of Stars

by DecemberCamie



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, Friendship/Love, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-09-16
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberCamie/pseuds/DecemberCamie
Summary: “What do you want from me?” Killua whispers as Gon continues to simply stare at him. “I’ve already given you my Heart. You can do whatever you want with it- you can kill me, force me to do your bidding, use my energy as your own…I gave you everything, Gon. What more could I possibly give you that you don’t already have?”Something unreadable flashes across Gon’s face. He takes two large steps, marching right up to Killua, and cups Killua’s jaw in his warm, warm hands.Killua’s breath catches in his throat. He feels his eyes grow large as Gon leans close, and then all he can see is Gon's wonderful, perfect face.Gon says, voice deep and rough, "I want this."





	The Hearts of Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DriftingGlass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DriftingGlass/gifts).



Killua is in the sun-room when it happens.

“Sir.”

Killua looks up, feeling his pulse skyrocket and his throat tighten until he can barely breathe. There’s a strange throbbing in the center of his chest. It swells and aches as Killua’s guard approaches, dragging in a grizzly man by the collar of his dirt-covered green shirt.

“I caught this rat sneaking around the horses,” the guard snarls and tosses the captive onto the carpet. The emerald-clad man rolls over a few times before skidding to a stop at Killua’s feet.

Killua doesn’t move; he barely even hears what the guard is saying. He can’t tear his eyes away from the all-too-familiar brown spikes as his guard continues to report in the background-

“- was sneaking through the luggage, caught him just as he reached the center carriage.”

Finally, Killua forces himself to raise his gaze. His guard’s expression is hard but his tone softens into something resembling reassurance when he says, “We don’t think he took anything of importance, sir.”

Killua swallows around the lump in his throat. “That’s…good to hear.”

He already knows nothing was stolen. Why would this seemingly apparent stranger take anything when he already has Killua’s most valuable possession?

“Sir?”

Killua blinks, refocusing on the guard. “Yes?”

“We wanted to know how his punishment should be carried out.”

Ice shoots down Killua’s spine. Punishment? No, that couldn’t happen- “That won’t be necessary.”

The guard frowns. “Mister Zoldyck, this man must be punished. Stealing from a Noble Star-born is-”

“I know the rules,” Killua says coldly and the guard shuts up. “I never said there wouldn’t be consequences. _I’ll_ be the one to deal with him.”

Shock floods the guard’s face, followed quickly by horror. “Sir, no, you can’t-”

“I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.” Killua lifts his hand and lets a spark of electricity escape from under his nails. The crackling light dances between his fingers, coiling over his skin like a snake. Fizzing spreads through the air and the room is filled with the smell of ozone.

“Do I need to remind you just who holds the power here?” Killua asks the guard softly, dangerously, and the guard visibly pales.

“N-No, sir…”

“Good.” Killua snaps his fingers and the electricity disappears. His skin twinges and smarts but he hides it under the perfectly-encrypted mask his oldest brother so insistently taught him to wear like a second skin. It wouldn’t be so difficult- or painful- to use his magic with a Heart, but some things can’t be helped.

The guard is still standing there. Killua jerks his head towards the door. “You can go now.”

“Sir. Please. I can’t leave you alone with him.” The guard keeps his ground. Killua is begrudgingly impressed, but-

This guard just picked the absolute worst time to push Killua’s buttons.

“I said-” Killua snarls, lips twisting and eyes flashing electric blue, _“-leave._ Now!”

The guard bolts. He darts past the double doors in record time, slamming them shut so hard the windows shake.

For a few seconds, there’s silence. The sound of crashing waves rolls in from the balcony, bringing with it a smell of sea-salt that is sharp enough to taste. Warm, golden sunlight drapes across Killua’s shoulders and hangs gracefully down his arms.

It’s only Gon Freecss’ light snickering that finally makes Killua look down.

“Still scary as ever-” Gon finally lifts his face, honey-brown gaze alight with joy, “-huh, Killua?”

Something hot coils inside Killua’s gut at being the center of the other man’s shining gaze. It’s strange, alien. He hasn’t felt anything like it in the four years, not since he said goodbye to Gon under a canopy of stars.

Speaking of which.

“What are you doing here, Gon?” Killua asks sharply. He steps back as Gon braces himself against the floor and nimbly jumps into a standing position. He doesn’t stare at the way Gon’s muscles glisten in the reflecting sunlight. He doesn’t notice the strong curve of Gon’s jaw, or the broadness of his chest.

Killua definitely does _not_ pay attention to the tiny sliver of bronze skin that appears above Gon’s waistline when he stretches his arms behind his back. Nope. Not at all.

A chuckle.

Killua darts his eyes back to Gon’s and flushes at the smug grin he sees there.

“What?!” he snaps as his skin prickles and burns. That bastard. He knew what he was doing-

“Nothing,” Gon half-laughs, half-hums. “I just heard you were in the neighborhood, so I came to check the situation out for myself. It’s nice to know the rumors were true for once.”

Killua grounds his teeth together. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Gon cocks his head to the side, throwing half of his face into the sunlight and painting it gold. “Why not? If you’re here, then that’s where I should be, too!”

And just like that- with a few choice words and that unique, one hundred percent pure sincerity that only Gon could pull off- the air is stolen from Killua’s lungs. For a moment he is fourteen again, high on life and drunk from being in the presence of Gon Freecss for more than a little too long.

Killua’s body tingles. Blood rushes through his veins and every part of him _burns, aches, wants._ Gon makes him feel things. And it is that reason alone that makes him dangerous.

“No,” Killua says, forcing his hands to uncurl themselves from their claws. He chooses to ignore the darkness that enters Gon’s eyes as he continues, “It’s not where you should be. I said goodbye to you a long time ago, and-”

“That wasn’t a goodbye,” Gon interrupts, and takes a daring step forward.

Killua doesn’t allow himself to tense at the close proximity. He’s above whatever game Gon’s trying to pull. He can’t- _won’t-_ let himself be pulled into Gon’s gravity again.

“We literally said the word ‘goodbye’, Gon!” Killua snaps at him. “I was only staying in your area for one summer! That was it! We both knew it was the end, there was nothing-”

“That’s funny how you say ‘it’.” Gon smiles, all teeth and flashing eyes as he moves closer to Killua again. “That means you admit there was something between us then, too.”

Killua’s face burns scarlet. The sunlight that was so comforting only a few minutes ago is suddenly oppressing, hot and uncomfortable. “There was nothing then, and there’s nothing now, okay?!”

“Why are you blushing, then?” Gon leans into Killua’s personal space. Killua flinches, eyes clamping shut and squeezing tight. He can feel the heat of Gon’s body and smell Gon’s strangely pine musk. It makes his mouth drier than the underwater dessert in the South and his hands clench into fists.

Killua doesn’t know what he’s expecting to happen. Gon is in control of the situation because Killua, apparently, lacks any sense of self-preservation around the bronzen male.

But the sudden lift of Killua’s headpiece resting atop his hair was certainly not it.

“Why were you wearing that for?” Killua hears Gon wonder aloud. Killua jerks as warm, gentle hand runs through his white curls. “Your hair is so beautiful, why would you cover it up…”

A light fluttering comes to life inside Killua’s chest. He wants to fight it, the bizarre sensation making him feel oddly giddy and weightless. If he was still an adolescent, maybe he wouldn’t.

He’s not an adolescent, though. And neither is Gon. Killua already gave Gon everything he could ever possibly want. He had given Gon all of him, had surrendered his very core to the person standing in front of him now. So why exactly is Gon here?!

“It’s a circlet,” Killua says and is proud at the steadiness of his voice. “It’s required for Noble Star-borns to wear them, and the number of gems in the metal indicates the type of Star-born you are-”

Gon makes a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. He leans back with a deep scowl and Killua can finally breathe again.

“You’re still listening to them, huh?” Gon asks, expression hard as stone.

“Wh-What do you mean?” Killua’s caught off guard. He’s not used to that look on Gon’s face- the dark anger there, the fury hiding in the shadows of those incredible gold eyes.

Gon snaps, “I mean, you’re still listening to your family’s orders!”

Killua recoils. “I- I am not-”

“Don’t lie, Killua!” Gon’s bark makes Killua’s mouth shut with a _click._ “You were always doing that, trying to convince yourself that you weren’t following the path they were dragging you down even though you never bothered to fight back-”

“I didn’t have a choice,” Killua hisses, practically spitting fire at Gon, who seethes in return. An image rises to the front of Killua’s mind: a girl with Killua’s eyes but a brighter, kinder smile. _She’s free now,_ he reminds himself as his stomach lurches and rolls. He made sure of that at least. But he himself is not free, and he doesn’t know if he ever will be.

He refocuses on Gon with narrowed, smarting eyes. “I _never_ had a choice! You were always oh-so-conveniently forgetting that when we were together-”

“There’s always a choice!!! I gave you one, but you turned me down!”

Killua throws back his head and laughs. There isn’t any humor in the sound; it’s loud, unhinged. It echoes around the room and crashes back onto their ears. Someone will surely hear and come running soon. But Killua doesn’t care.

“Exchanging Hearts at the age of fourteen,” he finally gasps, still trying to catch his breath while Gon stares at him with bared teeth and shaking fists. “Does _not_ count as a verifiable option, Gon. How do you think my family would’ve reacted if I’d come back that last night with your Heart hanging around my neck, huh?”

He turns his back on Gon, on that gut-wrenching expression of pain that stabs straight through his chest. He doesn’t need to see his own emotions reflected in his childhood friend’s face.

Killua lifts his gaze to the copper-etched ceiling and tries to breathe in deep. He has to regain some sense of control before his emotions swallow him whole-

“They wouldn’t have been able to do anything, Killua.” Gon’s voice is softer than before, closer too. Killua doesn’t need to turn around to feel Gon’s heavy, larger-than-life presence at his back. Gon’s fingers gently brush his knuckles but Killua yanks his hand away.

 _“Don’t,”_ he bites out before stomping out of the sunlit room and onto the balcony. The long fabric hanging from his waist billows in the sea breeze as he clutches at the balcony railing like it’s a lifeline and gazes out at the horizon.

The sky is impossibly blue here in the East and the water stretching out in front of him is bluer still. Waves kiss golden sand while crowds from the other domains snake between ancient buildings carved from hardened stone. The temperature is perfect; not too hot or humid, a taste of salt in the air and not a single cloud for miles.

It’s paradise. Or it would be, if Killua hadn’t come to this place on his family’s request, at his parents’ orders. And even with the heavy weight of the Zoldyck name on his shoulders this place might still have been paradise, if only Gon Freecss hadn’t decided to crash headfirst back into Killua’s life and torture him needlessly.

Said torturer steps quietly onto the balcony.

“Killua,” Gon whispers and Killua’s fingers curl on rough stone.

He hates the way Gon says his name- part longing, part awed, part song-like. Gon says his name and Killua feels himself melt along the edges.

Gon has the power to destroy him. He always did. And if that fact hadn’t changed after four years of no contact, it probably never would.

“What do you want, Gon?” Killua asks bitterly. He refuses to turn around, knowing that he’ll lose himself in those honey-glazed eyes the moment he does. “Why are you here?”

“You mean, you don’t know?”

Killua grits his teeth and keeps his eyes on the horizon, where the sky meets the sea. “Don’t know _what,_ Gon?! Spit it out before I tell the guards to come back in here.”

“You won’t do that.”

Killua fights down the urge to grab a fistful of Gon’s green tunic and hurl him head-first over the railing. “What do you know?! You can’t just go around making assumptions about me when we haven’t talked in four years!”

“I’m not making assumptions. You haven’t changed a bit.”

Killua can’t stop himself from whirling around at that, a snarl on his lips. But he freezes in shock at the look in Gon’s face; Gon is gazing at him so gently, so tenderly and soft and, and, and _open_ in a way that Killua could never be. It’s a look full of longing, a look full of pulsing emotion that is nearly unbearable to comprehend. It makes Killua’s breath catch in his throat and the aching comes back, twice as strong as before.

 _Gon_ , Killua thinks, full of yearning and a strange sort of pain. Every part of him wants nothing more than to fall into Gon’s arms and never leave. Gon is a sun, bright and mesmerizing, and Killua can’t stop himself from falling into the freckled man’s gravity.

“What do you want from me?” Killua finally whispers as Gon continues to simply stare at him. “I’ve already given you my Heart. You can do whatever you want with it- you can kill me, force me to do your bidding, use my energy as your own…I gave you everything, Gon. What more could I possibly give you that you don’t already have?”

Something unreadable flashes across Gon’s face. It’s too quick for Killua to catch; he blinks and it’s disappeared. But by then Gon’s already taken two large steps, marching right up to Killua, and cups Killua’s jaw in his warm, warm hands.

Killua’s breath catches in his throat. He feels his eyes grow large as Gon leans close, and then all he can see is Gon's wonderful, perfect face.

“I want this,” Gon says, voice deep and rough, and crashes his lips against Killua’s.

All thought in Killua’s mind vanishes. He’s responding to the heated, hungry movement of Gon’s mouth before his brain can catch up and his eyes flutter shut of their own accord. He opens his mouth, winds his arms around Gon’s neck, and presses his body flush against Gon’s.

The way Gon kisses him is fierce, aggressive, almost desperately so. He grips Killua’s face so tightly that Killua wouldn’t be able to pull away even if he wanted to. It’s like Gon’s been waiting the last four years for this exact moment, like he’s been thinking about nothing except Killua since the day they said goodbye and he won’t ever let Killua go now that he has him back in his arms.

Killua’s hands twist into claws as he grips the back of Gon’s shirt. He really wouldn’t mind it if that were the case- he’d thought about Gon more in their time apart than he would ever admit. He’d daydreamed about kissing Gon like this even back when they’d still known each other, when they’d been two reckless teenagers with an entire summer to waste falling in love.

Killua had loved Gon since the first day they met. It had been a fast and hard kind of love; he’d woken up one day and suddenly all he could think about was that freckled face, that wide smile. That was why he’d given Gon his Heart in the first place, because he loved him. He had wanted some piece of him to stay with Gon even after he left for good.

And he’d never once regretted it.

“Killua,” Gon murmurs into Killua’s lips, tone awed and full of wonder, and Killua moans quietly. Gon’s fingers dig indents into his skin and suddenly Gon is kissing him harder than before, forcing Killua to back up against the railing with no room to escape. Gon doesn’t give Killua the chance to catch his breath. He just keeps kissing him and kissing him and kissing him like the world is ending and Killua is the only thing keeping him alive.

Killua’s so lightheaded that he doesn’t realize how weak his legs are until his knees buckle. Gon swiftly sweeps him into his arms before Killua can even start to fall. He clutches Killua to his chest and presses his mouth to the curve of Killua’s neck.

“Why didn’t you stay with me?” Gon says into his skin and Killua’s head swims.

“I…” He swallows as Gon’s lips move slowly, tantalizingly, along his bare shoulder. “I d-didn’t want you to get in t-trouble…my family would’ve-”

“I didn’t care about them.” Gon pulls away to look directly into Killua’s wide eyes. “I cared about _you._ I still do. If you’d accepted my Heart back then like I’d accepted yours, they wouldn’t have been able to take it off you. Only the Heart’s owner or the receiver can do that. We would’ve been together instead of me spending the last four years searching for you.”

Killua’s body tingles where Gon’s touched him. His mouth is swollen and his cheeks are hot, flushed. He’s still too stunned by their kiss to do anything but watch wordlessly as Gon’s hand reaches for his neck. Gon pulls at the silver chain resting against his bronze skin and Killua stops breathing.

The pendant hanging at the end of Gon’s necklace has changed since Killua last saw it. His Heart was smaller four years ago, a dull azure circle dotted with specks of white. It wasn’t plain, but it didn’t stand out either.

 _Now,_ though. Now Killua’s Heart is a sharp, jutted shape. It zig-zags like a lightning bolt and glows with a brilliant shade of electric blue. It pulses in Gon’s palm and the strange emptiness inside of Killua throbs in kind.

Killua lets out a shuddering breath. “You still have it.”

Gon smiles, bemused. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

“I didn’t know what to think,” Killua says honestly. He almost can’t believe he’s seeing his Heart after so long. He feels like he’s floating in a dream, but Gon’s other hand is hot on Killua’s waist and Killua can’t dream up the way his blood races from Gon’s touch.

“This is your Heart, Killua,” Gon says. He curls his fingers around the lightning-shaped jewel and warmth spreads through Killua’s limbs. “I would never take it off. I would never risk the chance of losing it.”

“Or letting someone else take it?” Killua says faintly and Gon shakes his head.

“I would kill the man who tried,” he says calmly. He’s one-hundred percent serious- the flat, lifeless look in his eye is enough to convince Killua that he’s telling the truth- and chills race down Killua’s spine.

Secretly though, he’s glad. Killua had chosen well in giving his Heart to Gon. It would be safe resting around Gon’s neck, even if it did look like Gon was sworn to Killua as a result.

Killua’s cheeks prickle and burn at the thought. His pulse starts to race and he bites his bottom lip. People only exchange Hearts in rare circumstances, and usually only with those they intend to spend the rest of their life with. It’s the highest form of trust, a bond that can never be broken. A person’s Heart is their lifeline, their energy, their very soul. Destroy a Heart and you destroy the person as well.

Heart exchanges are more common among Star-borns, of course, since exchanging Hearts gives them a boost in their natural magical abilities. Wearing another’s Heart doubles a person’s magical reserve and makes excellent fighting partners. Heart exchanges for Star-borns are encouraged even if the match is only slightly fitting; as long as it allows them to better serve the Four Dimensions at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

And Gon is Star-born, just like Killua. He’d never been officially registered as a magic-wielder as far as Killua knew, but that technically made it acceptable for him to wear Killua’s Heart without any marriage vows….

But only technically.

Killua ducks his head to hide the scarlet tinge of his face, letting his bangs flop over and hide his expression from Gon’s strangely piercing gaze. He needs to stop thinking like this, seriously. It isn’t like he ever expected that Gon would want to marry him, that was just the wishful thinking of a lovesick fourteen-year-old-

Gon’s hand disappears from Killua’s waist and something drops around Killua’s neck.

A sudden surge of pure energy rushes through Killua’s core, and his jaw drops in a soundless cry. His lungs open and fill with fresh, salt-soaked air and his eyes bulge. Colors pop around him, ten times more vibrant and intense than before. His very skin burns and his blood sings in his veins.

It’s like he’s been struck by lightning. He feels like he’s stepped into the sun after years of being trapped in the darkness, like he’s suddenly seeing the world for the first time.

Breathing hard, Killua drops his gaze. There, resting against his chest is a speckled, golden feather.

Killua’s mouth turns dry. His mind goes blank as he continues to stare down at the feather. He knows what he’s looking at, but at the same time he _doesn’t_ because the possibility that Gon would actually want to give him- give him _this,_ is just…

It’s more than anything Killua ever dared to hope for. To have Gon’s Heart given to him so willingly by the person it belonged to was more than anything Killua ever dared to _dream_ for.

Slowly, Killua raises his head. He gazes wordlessly at the owner of the Heart that is currently hanging around his neck. Gon just beams at him, practically glowing with a kind of inner light, and Killua almost breaks down right then and there.

“Gon,” he croaks, voice barely audible. “You… _why?”_

Gon’s expression softens. He reaches out to gently tuck a stray white lock behind Killua’s ear, saying, “I told you I wanted to give you this four years ago, Killua. Even though you left before I could, my feelings never changed. Everything is right, now; I have your Heart, and you have mine. This is how it’s always meant to be, don’t you think?”

There’s a lump in the back of Killua’s throat. He doesn’t know how to respond to that even if he could talk. He’s overwhelmed with emotions- more intense and bold now with the life of Gon’s Heart flowing through him- and he can barely nod. His vision goes blurry and his eyes sting.

Warm, calloused fingers touch his cheeks. That’s all the warning Killua gets before Gon’s lips are on his again. Killua submits to Gon easily, loving the thrill that rushes through his body at the way Gon drags him closer. He can feel so much _more_ now with Gon’s Heart around his neck. Every sensation is multiplied by a thousand and he’s drowning in everything that Gon is; the calloused texture of his skin and the softness of his hair in Killua’s fists, the faint taste of orange on Gon’s tongue. Gon clings to him in a way that’s almost needy, a desperate want in the way his hands rake down Killua’s sides and grip his waist…

Killua is so overwhelmed that he doesn’t even register the pounding of boots until Gon abruptly pulls back with a gasp. Killua doesn’t have the time to blink before Gon is forcibly spinning him around to face his closed door. Killua hisses in pain as Gon yanks one of his hands behind his back, then goes still a second later when Gon presses a silver dagger to his exposed neck.

“Do you trust me?” Gon breathes in Killua’s ear, chest heaving against Killua’s shoulder blades.

Killua rolls his eyes Gon’s question. The dagger is cold on his skin but he pays it no mind. “Don’t be an idiot, Gon. You’re wearing my Heart, aren’t you?”

Gon’s low laugh is lost in the loud _BANG_ that echoes around the room. Soldiers pour into the room, each bearing different weapons ranging from swords to whips to axes. They all freeze the moment they spot Killua and Gon.

“Hello, gentlemen!” Gon says cheerfully and Killua holds back a snort. “How are you all doing on this fine day?”

One of the men steps forward- the head guard, the one with the real power here. His gaze slowly sweeps over them, eyes narrowing into slits when they land on Gon’s dagger.

“We demand that you release Mister Zoldyck,” he commands coolly. “He is our Master’s esteemed guest, and we would prefer to keep him unharmed while he stays here.”

“Ooooo, esteemed, huh?” Gon shifts behind Killua, loosens his grip slightly so Killua’s arm won’t fall asleep. “Fancy. Well, unfortunately for your master, I’m taking Killua with me whether or not anyone ‘prefers’ it. So, if you could please just point us how to get out of this place-?”

The guard barks out, “We can’t allow you to do that. Mister Zoldyck is needed here.”

Gon huffs. His breath brushes the shell of Killua’s ear and Killua fights down a shudder. He has an idea of where this conversation is headed, and it’s not going to be pretty when Gon finds out the reason Killua is here in the first place-

“And why is that, exactly?” Gon asks, voice hard, and Killua grimaces at his companion’s tone.

“Killua Zoldyck is promised to wed our Master’s heir!” The guard snaps his fingers and one of his men swiftly levels an arrow in their direction. “Now, release him! I won’t hesitate to shoot you down!”

Gon’s breathing stills. Killua gnaws his bottom lip anxiously, stomach twisting into knots while he waits for Gon’s response. Blood roars in his ears as the heavy silence in the room stretches on and on, tension swelling until it’s nearly unbearable.

Killua forces himself to stay still even as his mind whirls. What is Gon thinking? He has to know that marrying a stranger was never Killua’s choice. Like he could ever promise himself to anyone after meeting Gon-

Finally, Gon speaks and chills scatter down Killua’s spine at his next words.

“Killua isn’t marrying anyone,” Gon says and icy fear steals the air straight from Killua’s lungs. He’s never heard Gon talk like that before; voice low and dark, a slight growl underlying every syllable. It’s menacing, dangerous. It’s a blatant threat and Killua winces when Gon’s grip on his wrist tightens protectively.

The guard has enough sense to stiffen at the fatal warning in Gon’s response. A swell of nervous muttering spreads through the men but a single hand from the leader forces them to stop.

“That,” he says and Killua is impressed once more at the firmness in his stance. “Is not up to you, young man. This is the last time I’ll say this: release Mister Zoldyck and step away-”

“I think it’s time we go, Killua.” Gon sharply tugs on Killua’s arm and suddenly Killua is stumbling backwards. “Enjoy the rest of your day, gentlemen!”

The pressure on his wrist vanishes and a strong, muscular arm wraps itself around Killua’s waist. A second arm sweeps his legs out from underneath him and Killua gasps quietly. Gon cradles him to his chest securely, skin warmer than the sunlight around them, then braces his legs.

Killua’s eyes widen as understanding crashes over him. _Oh, no. No, no, no, no-_

The ground disappears and Killua yelps. He scrambles to grasp at Gon’s shoulders as the balcony shrinks below them to the size of his thumb. Wind tears through his hair, pulls at his clothes, and Gon’s melodic laughter is loud in his ears.

“GON!!!” he shrieks at the top of his lungs but Gon only laughs harder. They’re starting to fall now, gravity taking effect. Killua squeezes his eyes shut in a vain attempt to keep himself from panicking. “Shit, fuck, _shit-”_

“You need to calm down, Killua! We’re going to be fine!” Gon says brightly and it’s only because Killua is terrified of splattering on the sand like an egg that he doesn’t strangle Gon right then and there.

“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Killua’s voice is twice as high as it usually is and he can’t stop the choking fear from crawling up his throat. _“Do_ something, idiot, we’re going to die!!!”

“I thought you said you trusted me?”

“I do, dumbass! But crashing to the ground just because you couldn’t keep your temper and dying in the most stupid way possible is a totally different matter!”

Gon’s chest vibrates with a low hum. The screeching wind dies down and the nauseating lurch in Killua’s stomach lessons. Killua tightens his grip on Gon’s shoulder- he can feel himself _shaking_ , damnit- before hesitantly opening his eyes.

It takes him a moment to realize what exactly he’s seeing. A few seconds passes and then Killua gasps, stunned.

“Do you get it now?” Gon asks, sounding like he’s trying to hold back another bout of laughter.

“You!!!” Killua punches Gon in the chest and Gon makes an _oof_ -ing sound. “Moron! Why didn’t you tell me you could fly?!”

“It never came up in conversation?” Gon’s feet slowly touch sand. The sound of crashing waves is all around them and the sun’s rays feel even stronger here than they did on the balcony. That does nothing, however, to melt away the irritated anger building up inside of Killua as Gon continues, “We only just reunited, Killua. I couldn’t tell you everything in that short amount of time, you know.”

Killua scowls and shoves himself out of Gon’s arms. He _hates_ it when Gon is the reasonable one. “You could have at least told me when we were falling to our death!” he snaps and brushes grains of sand off the weird half-skirt bottom he’d been ordered to wear here.

“Maybe. But we turned out fine, didn’t we?” Gon’s fingers grasp Killua’s chin and forces him to look directly into his eyes. “Did you really think I’d let you fall, Killua?” he asks softly. There’s an intensity shining in those golden depths. It makes something hot burn deep inside Killua’s chest and turns his legs weak and limp.

Killua swallows thickly. Shit. He couldn’t do anything against that look, four years hadn’t changed that. “N-No…”

Gon smiles. “Good.” He presses a light kiss to Killua’s lips. It’s over before Killua can respond, leaving his head spinning and his blood racing.

Gon slips his hand into Killua’s. “Let’s get out of here, okay? We should put as much distance between us and those soldier guys as possible before the sun sets.”

Gon tugs him forward and Killua stumbles. “You’re in a rush,” he comments between pants as Gon pulls him towards the town’s stone structures. He’s winded and breathless, but he doesn’t mind all that much; he has a feeling that he’ll be like this more often now that he’s with Gon again.

“’Course! There’s no way I’m letting you marry someone that’s not me!”

Killua almost trips. “G-Gon!” he shouts, flushing a deep scarlet.

But Gon just grins widely. His head is silhouetted by the sun, lighting up his skin like he’s made from gold and Killua feels a swooping sensation not unlike the one he had when Gon and he were falling through the sky.

A surge of happiness rushes through him and Killua smiles, letting himself feel every ounce of joy growing in his body. Gon’s Heart bounces against his chest and shines in the sunlight as Gon squeezes his hand tightly.

Killua had lost his Heart four years ago, when he fourteen years old. He gave it away- as a gift, as a promise- and never once looked back.

And now he knows he never will. His Heart returned to him under the most unexpected circumstances, but that’s Gon, and Killua wouldn't have it any other way.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is for the most wonderful and talented and amazing DriftingGlass!!!!! She's absolutely incredible, both as a person and as a writer, and I cannot throw enough compliments her way to thank her for being one of my favorite authors as well as my friend! If you haven't checked her fics out please please PLEASE do, I promise you will not regret it!
> 
> The idea of Hearts is something that I actually came up with while being in the Hetalia fandom nearly 6 years ago, but I really developed the concept and universe here. This unvierse has four 'Dimensions': the East Coast, the North Mountains, the West Forest, and the Dessert South. Killua and Gon were in the East in this fic. Star-borns are pple born with magic, so all of the Hunters in the hxh universe would be Star-borns in this au.
> 
> And finally, [killushawn](http://killushawn.tumblr.com/) beta'd this fic for me since my usual beta's been really busy lately. He was super helpful and encouraging and I can't thank him enough for his help <3
> 
> [My tumblr](https://decembercamiecherries.tumblr.com/)


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